Thoughts on farming in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia and beyond

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Ferries and Farming

Living on an island
is a little different from living on the mainland, primarily because
of our reliance on the ferry system. A few years ago I visited Glen
Alwin Farm in the Comox Valley. Their location gives them the
opportunity to sell their beef and lamb at both the Courtenay and the
Campbell River Farmers Markets.

When I asked where they process their
livestock, they pointed and told me “About 5 minutes down the
road”. I could see the meat shop’s sign just across the highway.
They wouldn’t even need to load a truck…just walk the cows and
sheep down there.

Contrast that to most
Gulf Island farms. Ferries to bring supplies in. Ferries to take our
products off island. Sometimes ferries to take them off island to
process, then back to our island to sell. It makes even more sense to
have a local food economy in the Gulf Islands. Keep our growing,
processing and marketing as local as possible. It is more than convenience that is at stake. There is animal welfare to consider, as well as safety. A big cattle truck came to our island to pick up cattle from three different farms which were to be shipped to Vancouver. The ferry arrived late, so the driver had to rush to the first farm where several people worked up a sweat loading the uncooperative creatures. Then the second farm to load some more. Then our farm to load the last, and a dash back to the ferry to catch the 11:45. The truck was just under the thirty minutes for priority loading and the ferry employee in the booth was not going to budge on the rule. The driver was told that the next ferry would be at 3:10. I followed the truck and pleaded with the ferry employees at the dock to please allow the truck to load because there were two bulls on the truck separated by just a metal gate. I pointed at the truck, which was rocking back and forth from the bulls fighting. I told them that this was a safety issue for the animals, and the ferry wasn't even in dock yet. Fortunately, the ferry employee allowed the truck to load on the 11:45. It isn't always this way. Sometimes a truck of livestock will be asked to go in a separate lane to be loaded last, and sometimes the truck is forgotten or not enough space is left. If connections are missed a truck may need to stay overnight at a ferry terminal with no food, water or fresh bedding for the stock.

Last fall I took some
lambs to Saturna Island to be processed – I caught an evening
ferry, unloaded the sheep in the dark at Campbell Farm and then slept
over. The next day we slaughtered, then back to Pender. Then a return
trip the following week with another stay-over to pick up the meat.
Not a simple five minute drive down the road, unless you have the
good fortune to live on Saturna. Soon Salt Spring will have an
operating abattoir as well, which will have the added feature of
being mobile so that perhaps the abattoir can eventually come to the
farms, instead of animals being transported.

Many Gulf Island
farmers with livestock have to do the dance with the ferry monster,
which would involve the ferry trip and anywhere from one to two hours
driving. Add in time gathering the stock and loading them so that you
still have at least thirty minutes before the scheduled sailing to
assure your place on the ferry. Right?

Well, that depends.
You see, in 2005 BC Ferries decided to do away with the “30 minute
rule” for livestock on the major routes for the ferries. Instead,
they require a reservation to assure the boarding of the livestock on
the preferred sailing. “This can be a challenge, because it is an
established fact that travelling with animals when they are not
accustomed to is is stressful to the animals” says Cynthia
Tupholme, a Salt Spring sheep producer who has had her experiences in
dealing with the ferry system.

“Try cancelling a
reservation outside regular business hours when there is no one to
pick up the phone at the BC Ferries office. Try making it to a
reserved sailing time when travelling a long distance with a load of
sheep, there is no rushing when travelling with livestock and there
can be accidents on the road or road construction or any number of
unforeseeable obstacles beyond the drivers control which delay the
best laid plans to arrive at that reserved sailing time an hour
before the sailing.”

According to the
Canadian Food Inspection Agency “Every person responsible for
transporting animals in Canada must ensure that the entire
transportation process including loading, transit and unloading -
does not cause injury or undue suffering to the animals. It is
illegal to cause undue suffering to an animal at any point in the
transportation process.”

Tupholme and other
farmers believe that BC Ferries has a responsibility to provide a
transit service that will prevent undue suffering of all livestock.
This was the main reason why in the past they gave assured loading to
livestock of all kinds, and not just to live seafood. Extreme
temperatures and weather conditions, and the stress of travelling
itself are animal welfare issues. The BC Farm Animal Care Council is
concerned as well and has requested that producers send their
experiences to BCFACC, so that they can be presented to BC Ferries.

Another sheep producer
wrote in the recent BC Sheep N'Ewes, that one way around the stress
of travelling with livestock is to book more than one reservation
each way to assure that you will get on a ferry, and cancel the
reservation you do not need. Margaret Sampson, who lives in Surrey
and only occasionally travels by ferry with her livestock, did point
out that she was shocked at the cost of ferry travel, and how it has
increased through the years. This is especially noted by those who
use trailers because the cost per foot has doubled. In 2009, the
fare for Margaret and her sheep in truck and trailer 35' total was
$92.25. In 2010, the fare had increased 48% to $136.65, one way.
This year she paid $145.75.

For Gulf Island
residents, the Experience cards replacing the ticket books have
created some unpleasant situations. Some have found that it is
difficult, if not impossible, to transfer funds from card to card,
and the minimum amount to put on the card changes as ferry rates
increase. Currently it is $90 for car and driver. And it is
different from a book of tickets where you can clearly see how many
tickets are left, but you might not remember how much money was left
on your card.

As for Cynthia
Tupholme, the frustrations of island farming and living have become
too much. She is currently looking for a place in the Fraser Valley.

2 comments:

I really sympathize with all of you on the outer Islands and also on V.I. It has become impossible for us to even think of exhibiting our sheep anywhere on the mainland. In 2005, on the way to the All Canada Classic in Chilliwack, we arrived 27 minutes before the Queen of Alberni was to leave. The lady at the ticket booth was rude and said she didn't have to put us on the ferry as we hadn't been there 30 mins. before sailing. The ferry was far from full, she made us wait in the sun with a full trailer of sheep for the next ferry. The next ferry was turned back to Tsawwasen with a someone with a heart attack occuring on board. We waited a total of 6 hours before we boarded. Other times they have put us to the side and not left room to load us--this has happened three times. Something's wrong, especially when the Arrow Lakes ferries are free.

I had the bad luck to miss a ferry from Tsawwasen to the island. I was the only truck or car in the parking lot. When it came time to load for the next ferry I was the last one on the ferry. I thought that I wasn't going to be allowed to load. I think some of the workers think its a big joke that you have livestock and try to keep them comfortable. I now carry water jugs every time I travel as they even told me there wasn't water available for me to water the animals.